A Benin high court has asked the Otaru of Auchi, Alhaji Aliru Momoh Ikelebe III, to vacate the palace where he had held sway as the king in the last two decades. The court gave him 31 days to do this.
The property which the Otaru has been using as his palace, according to the court, does not belong to him, making him ‘an illegal occupant’.
Besides, the monarch was also ordered by the court to pay the sum of N10 million as damages to Orbit Building Society Limited, which sued the Otaru, claiming ownership.
Justice Esohe Ikponmwen who granted the claimant the right to take full possession of the property as the rightful owner, stressed that the company acquired the said property in 1993, adding that since the second defendant has no tie with the property, he should vacate the property within 31 days.
The court which awarded N5 million as general damages and N5 million as exemplary damages, stressed that the damages would have been bigger owing to the number of years the second respondent occupied the property but was awarded in line with the demand of the claimant.
Orbit Building Society had in 1997, filed a suit against the Otaru of Auchi asking that he quit the property which is located at old Government Reservation Area, Auchi Estako West LGA, Auchi.
It was gathered that the property, which was then known as Bendel Hotel, was bought by the claimant from Edo State government in 1993 with an agreement to continue to keep the hotel running and provide employment opportunity for the community. But, according to the claimant, the Otaru illegally took over the property and built his palace on it.
For Ikoghode Julius, the managing director, Orbit Building Society Limited, it was a dream come true, pointing out that he had on several occasions confronted the royal father on his decision to move his Palace from the property, in 1993, adding after waiting for five years without result, he decided to seek redress in the court.
“Edo State government asked me to use whatever means available to recover my property, and I am happy that the court has given me back my property after twenty two years”, said Julius while speaking to Global Excellence.
-Kemi Akinjare
